World's top 20 museums

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Photos:Top 20 museums around the world

20. Victoria and Albert Museum, London – Leading the world's museums in decorative arts and design, the V&A in London attracted just under 3.3 million visitors in 2013.

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Photos:Top 20 museums around the world

19. Science Museum, London – Another London museum, the Science Museum in South Kensington, also saw about 3.3 million visitors in 2013.

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Photos:Top 20 museums around the world

18. National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan – The National Museum of Natural Science in central Taichung, Taiwan, saw a 15% increase in visitors between 2012 and 2013. About 3.4 million people visited in 2013.

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Photos:Top 20 museums around the world

17. Musee d'Orsay, Paris – The Musee d'Orsay in Paris draws visitors for its expansive collection of art created between 1848 and 1914. The museum is housed in a former railway station adorned with a giant clock. About 3.5 million people visited in 2013.

15. Centre Pompidou, Paris – Attendance dropped by a little more than 1% at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 2013, with about 3.7 million people visiting the museum.

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Photos:Top 20 museums around the world

14. National Gallery of Art, Washington – The National Gallery of Art's sculpture garden is a popular spot on the National Mall in Washington. The museum saw about 4.1 million visitors in 2013.

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Photos:Top 20 museums around the world

13. National Palace Museum, Taiwan – The National Palace Museum in Taiwan had about 4.4 million visitors in 2013.

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Photos:Top 20 museums around the world

12. Tate Modern, London – In 2013, the Tate Modern in London saw a nearly 8% dip in attendance from 2012. About 4.9 million people visited the museum.

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Photos:Top 20 museums around the world

11. National Museum of American History – The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington saw 4.9 million visitors in 2013, up about 2% from 2012.

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10. American Museum of Natural History – The American Museum of Natural History in New York held steady year over year with 5 million visitors.

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Photos:Top 20 museums around the world

9. Natural History Museum, London – The Natural History Museum in London saw a more than 6% increase in attendance in 2013, with nearly 5.3 million visitors. The museum is among six London museums ranking in the top 20 most popular in 2013.

7. National Gallery, London – The National Gallery in London saw a nearly 17% spike in attendance in 2013, jumping from about 5.2 million visitors in 2012 to 6 million visitors in 2013.

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Photos:Top 20 museums around the world

6. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York – Nearly 6.3 million people visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2013.

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5. British Museum, London – London's British Museum had a more than 20% increase in visitors in 2013, with nearly 6.7 million.

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4. National Air and Space Museum – The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington received almost 7 million visitors in 2013.

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Photos:Top 20 museums around the world

3. National Museum of China, Beijing – The National Museum of China in Beijing was the third most visited museum in the world in 2013, with nearly 7.5 million visitors. That represents a nearly 40% jump in attendance from 2012.

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2. National Museum of Natural History – The National Museum of Natural History in Washington is the world's second most visited museum, with 8 million visitors in 2013.

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1. Louvre, Paris – The Louvre in Paris is the world's most visited museum, with 9.3 million visitors in 2013.

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Story highlights

Six of the most visited museums of 2013 are in London

The world's most visited museum is home to Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa"

Overall, 2013 attendance at the top 20 museums was up by more than 7% from 2012

A woman with a mysterious smile is one of the most magnetic draws at the world's most popular museum.

Not familiar with her? Here's another hint: This centuries-old museum took a breathtaking modern leap in 1989 with the introduction of a glass pyramid outside.

Not surprisingly, the Louvre in Paris is the world's most visited museum, with 9.3 million visitors last year, according to the 2013 Museum Index.

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The index, released this month as part of the TEA/AECOM Global Attractions Attendance Report, is in its second year of tracking museum attendance.

The report tracks top museums in Europe, the United States, Canada and the Asia-Pacific region. Next year, Mexico and Latin America will be included in the museum category, according to engineering design firm AECOM, one of the organizations behind the index.

The top 20 museums for 2013 include six museums in London, thanks in part to the heavily promoted 2012 Olympic Games, which brought a boost in visitor interest in the city. Four museums in Washington, three in Paris, two in New York, two in China, two in Taiwan and one in Vatican City round out the rest of the list.

Click through the gallery above to see all the world's most visited museums.